BGM suggestion: BTS feat. Zara Larsson - 'A Brand New Day' piano cover by Smyang

 

As the three leave, Ho Seok turns around to give me a cute grin but I don’t have much time to think about it. After they disappear behind the door, another employee comes out. Kyu Ha stops in front of me, taping on her phone, “Come tomorrow.” “Huh? Why?” “Why do you think?” She looks up, eyes throwing lasers at me. “To cover my shift, duh.” “..Ah... Yeah…” I reply, my voice merely a weak whisper. A few hours later, I get off work at the same time as Nam Joon and Ho Seok. We pass the glass door quietly, shoulder to shoulder. “It's hard for you,” the taller doctor remarks, making my gaze lift from my feet. It's just the first day but I'm already tired... “I can’t speak up. I don’t know why, I...” I pause on the sidewalk and try to find the right words to describe how I feel. “I...don't have the strength,” I eventually grumble. “Guess I’m just not the assertive type.” “I think it's more deep than that. You suffered bullying for a long time and that kind of thing can destroy people. It crushes your heart and mind and can change your personality. But it doesn't mean you can't rebuild yourself.” Nam Joon stops a second to push the store's jacket in his fabric shoulder bag. “I won't lie and say it will be easy,” he continues, returning his eyes to me. “But just like you learned to open up to your friends at school, you can learn to stand up for yourself to your colleagues. And just like Tae Hyung and Jung Kook helped you, we're going to help you as well.” He finishes with a wink and a dimpled smile. I'm surprised by the psychological approach Nam Joon has to the problem. I never thought about it like that but his explanation makes a lot of sense in my brain. “We heard Kyu Ha force you to cover her shift,” Ho Seok begins, pulling his backpack up his shoulder. “Does the boss know?” “They know but they don’t care as long as the work is done.” Ho Seok glances at Nam Joon, who grimaces. “What kind of boss is that,” he mumbles with a frustration-laced voice. “Well, sorry but I still have some homework to do. I'll see you tomorrow!” I give them a small bow of the head and it takes me a few steps to notice my doctors are actually following behind me. “You’re going in the same direction?” “We’re going home together, Seo Min!” Ho Seok declares with the heart-shaped grin he showed me earlier. “Oh, no, don’t bother! I’m taking the bus and it takes only 15 minutes.” “It doesn’t bother us, don’t worry! We have a car and we’re going in the same direction anyways.” “We don’t have a car,” Ho Seok gently nudges Nam Joon and a scoffs. “I have a car.” I tilt my head and Nam Joon scratch the back of his neck, an embarrassed smile on his lips. “True. I don’t even have a driver license.” “I don’t either,” I try to re